Month: November 2014

Washington’s Festival of Trees & Lights

Washington’s Gunn Memorial Library and Museum invites you to start a new tradition this holiday season! Fun for all ages, Gunn Memorial’s annual Festival of Trees & Lights cocktail party will take place in the historic Wykeham Room on Friday, December 5, from 5 to 7pm.

This event features creatively-decorated holiday trees, wreaths and stockings, as well as one-of-a-kind ornaments by local artists, which will be sold by silent auction to benefit the Gunn Memorial Library & Museum. Peruse the festive hall while sampling wine and hors d’oeuvres provided by local restaurants.

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The Library’s tree will be decked with Treasure Pouches, each containing a slip of paper bestowing a mystery gift. Attendees may purchase a pouch and claim an item or service that has been donated by a local business including gift baskets, theater tickets, edibles, gift certificates and more.
The suggested donation for the Friday evening cocktail party is $15 per person or $25 per couple. The tree display will be open for viewing at no charge on Saturday, December 6, from 10am-2pm.

Items not sold at the cocktail party on Friday evening will be available for purchase on Saturday. For further information call (860) 868-7586 or email gunndevelopment@biblio.org.

Tickets are available in advance at the circulation desk, or guests may pay at the door the night of the event. The Gunn Memorial Library is located at 5 Wykeham Road at the juncture of Route 47 opposite the Green in Washington, CT. For more information and for library hours visit www.gunnlibrary.org.

For information on holiday events in Litchfield Hills www.litchfieldhills.com

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Holiday Stroll & Dec. Fun at Litchfield History Museum

The Litchfield History Museum is offering a special Holiday Stroll on Sunday, November 30 from 2:30 p.m. – 5 p.m. This festive event will include a holiday stroll of this historic town as well as materials to make your own holiday ornaments!

In addition to the festivities, this will be the last day to view this year’s excellent exhibition, “Join the Brave Throng: Poster Art of WWI and the other exhibits at the Litchfield History Museum and the Tapping Reeve House & Law School.

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Although the museums will be closed after November 30, the Litchfield History Museum has several interesting programs planned for the month of December that includes a lecture on December 7 of the hidden history of Litchfield County at 1 p.m. This lecture traces the past of the area that is hidden in plain sight. Among the all-but-forgotten stories is the 1886 fire that roared down West Street in Litchfield causing hotel guests to flee their rooms at the Mansion House. In Bantam, the Art Deco chairs offered by the Warren McArthur Corporation caught the attention of the War Department who asked the company to make seats for bombers in World War II. With these and other hidden tales author Peter C. Vermilyea explores the little-known history of Litchfield Hills.

On December 10 at 7 p.m. there will be an archives workshop that will review the best ways to store cherished heirlooms. Basic storage techniques ranging from museum-quality archival practices to simple and affordable solutions, tips on displaying your fabric treasures, and just some good old-fashioned do’s and don’ts will be reviewed to help you store your treasures for generations. Free for members, $10 for non-members.

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On December 17, the Leather Apron Book Club will hold a meeting from 3:30- 5 p.m. The group will be reading Woods Runner by Gary Paulsen. This is the story of 13-year-old Samuel who must help to save his family, taken prisoner by the British during the Revolutionary War. Following a discussion of the book, we’ll play a game or make a craft related to the story. Register by December 12 and get a copy of the book! This is best for kids 8 and up. The cost is $10 for members and $15 for non-members.

For more information visit http://litchfieldhistoricalsociety.org.

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Bethel Salutes the holidays

Downtown Bethel is saluting the holidays with a series of special events sure to please holiday gift buyers and browsers. To kick off the season, Bethel has decorated and lit their gorgeous holiday tree. On Saturday, November 29, Bethel is inviting kids to meet Santa from a 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. at the Bethel Municipal Center. Pose for photos with Santa then browse the items displayed by local artisans and vendors at the Santa Village Marketplace.

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Also on November 29, the Bethel Chamber is sponsoring a Run Santa Run 5K where participants can opt to run as Santa, an elf, a holiday tree or even a present! The 5K Run / Walk starts at 11:00 a.m.Kids Fun Run starts at 10:15 a.m.

Along with the 5K, Santa’s Village Marketplace will be setup inside the Bethel Municipal Center. A great way to start your holiday shopping. After the 5K, Santa will be inside for you to visit with and have your picture taken.

Beginning on December 4, each Thursday in December will be the Bethel Wine and Shop event that begins at 4 p.m. and lasts until the closing time of shop participants. This is the first annual wine and shop event and participants can purchase a passport for $25 for shopping and dining purposes. More than a dozen merchants will serve you wine when you show your passport. And, when shopping is over, use your passport at several restaurants in town for special dining offers.

For details call the Bethel Chamber at 203-743-6500. For additional information visit http://bethelchamber.com or call 203-743-6500.

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In Our Own Backyard at Sharon Historical and Darrin Winston Bookseller

Located in the scenic corner of the Litchfield Hills in Northwest Connecticut, the Sharon Historical Society is hosting a new show in it’s gallery, In Our Own Backyard… Five Women Express Life Where We Live, through December 20.

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Gallery visitors will experience the beauty of our area’s rolling hills, long vistas, fields and marshes, deep skies and stretches of water in artwork created by local artists. Dorothy Fox, Nancy Goldberger, Patricia Hogan, Linda Wenkert and Lilly Woodworth share their love of the Litchfield Hills and surrounding area with paintings in oil, watercolor, acrylic and pastel.

The gallery is open Wed. – Fri. from 10 a.m. – 4 p.m. and on Saturday from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. For more information on the Sharon Historical Society http://www.sharonhist.org.

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After visiting the Sharon Historical Society, don’t forget to stop in to visit Darren Winston Bookseller in Sharon located on 81 Main Street, steps away from the Historical Society. Here you will find a fabulous array of antiquarian books from vintage pulp fiction to finely bound classics there is something for everyone. The shop is also an art gallery with changing shows and art exhibitions. For more information visit http://www.darrenwinstonbookseller.com/

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For the holidays, the shop will be displaying a wonderful selection of things that are perfect for holiday gifts. In addition to this, you will be able to see the art show, If 6 was 9 featuring The Topsy-Turvy World of Tom Wood. Darrin Winston Books is open Thursday – Sunday 11 a.m. – 5 p.m.

For information on the Litchfield Hills www.litchfieldhills.com

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Kent’s Annual Holiday Champagne Stroll

To get in the holiday mood, visit Kent, a quiet village located in the the heart of the Litchfield Hills that has organized a great holiday outing for young and old alike. On November 28 and 29, visitors are invited to attend the second annual Champagne Stroll where local merchants will be pouring champagne from 4 p.m. – 7 p.m. on both days.

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Stroll participants will be awarded with special offers throughout town and will even be entered into a contest to win one of 3 great bottles of champagne! For additional information visit http://www.kentct.com.

The Kent Historical Society is getting into the swing of things with a special display at the Champagne Stroll highlighting material from Camp Po-Ne-Mah and Camp Francis. The Kent Historical Society we will be displaying items in a Trunk Show at 5 Kent Green Boulevard during Kent’s Champagne Stroll, from 4:00 to 7:00 p.m. You’ll see the old Po-Ne-Mah sign, as well as several other highly evocative pieces from their collection. This trunk show will provide a glimpse of their 2015 show, and give visitors a better understanding of the allure of this pleasant community.

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The Kent Historical Society’s mission is to collect, preserve, interpret and present the rich history of Kent as well as to provide educational and research material to enrich the public understanding of Kent’s artistic and cultural heritage. For more information, see www.kenthistoricalsociety.org or call 860-927-4587.

For area information on where to stay, events and where to go in Litchfield Hills www.litchfieldhills.com

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Clare Romano & John Ross: 70 Years of Printmaking at Center for Contemporary Printmaking

The fall exhibition, featuring a sampling from the extensive collection of original prints by Clare Romano and John Ross, at The Center for Contemporary Printmaking (CCP), 299 West Ave., in Mathews Park, Norwalk, runs through Sunday, December 14, 2014.
Gallery visitors have the opportunity to view original prints made by these preeminent printmaking artists, educators, and authors—husband and wife, each with their own acclaimed individual careers—who have made the fine art of printmaking, with a particular emphasis on the art of the collagraph, their life’s work.

John Ross, "Duomo"
John Ross, “Duomo”

Clare Romano and John Ross had a major influence on the art printmaking and printmaking students. For many, their text, “The Complete Printmaker”, represented the next wave in printmaking. The exhibition showcases landscapes and cityscapes, lithographs, etchings, silkscreens, woodcuts, letterpress and, of course, collagraphs. Visitors will discover novel and innovative images using silk aquatint, asymmetrically cut plates, and the combination of intaglio and relief on the same plate.

The Center has scheduled an Artists Talk and Book Signing with John and Tim Ross for December 10 from 7 to 8:30 pm. Clare Romano and John Ross wrote and illustrated a number of books together, the first entitled Manhattan Island (1957) and the most important publication, The Complete Printmaker, originally published in 1972 is now in its second edition with Artist/Printmaker and Educator Tim Ross joining his parents as co-author. The Complete Printmaker is still used as a printmaking text in college classrooms today.

Clare Romano, "Silver Canyon"
Clare Romano, “Silver Canyon”

Normal hours are Tuesday through Sunday 9 am to 5 pm. The gallery is closed on Columbus Day, Veterans Day, and over the Thanksgiving Day weekend. Admission is free, and the gallery is handicapped accessible. For more information visit http://www.contemprints.org.

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